From Stop 2: Cross Cedar Creek; go .1 mile to the junction with
CR 611, and make a right turn onto 611. Go 1.1 miles to a line of boulders
on the right-hand side of the road. Park by the boulders.

This is McInturff's Ford where Gordon's Division crossed the
river. Ramseur's Division crossed at Bowman's
Ford, .6 mile farther east, followed by Pegram's Division. The night
was chilly, and many Southern soldiers complained of their muscles tightening
in the cool night air whenever they paused to rest or to close up the lines.
The entire approach could have been bungled were it not for General Gordon's
attention to detail. The trail had been blazed and improved as much
as possible by Early's engineers. Guides were positioned at most junctions
except at one place where a log was placed to block a fork in the trail.
As luck would have it, a local farmer had innocently moved the log. Gordon
sensed that night that the log had been moved; he halted the column,
verified the change with the nearby farmer, and got the troops on the right
path. Thus, the man who conceived the grand strategy of the attack had
assured its initial success by his equally sure attention to detail.

Continue on CR 611 (eastward); in .6 mile you will pass Long Meadow
Farm on the right.

Bowman's Ford is just to the south of the farm, where the tree line
reaches the river. CR 611 turns north at this point, following the approach
route of Gordon's corps.

Proceeding .8 mile farther, where CR 635 takes off to the left, you
are about 800 feet east of Gordon's southern flank as it faced west-northwest
to go into the attack. The northern flank, Ramseur's Division, was
.9 mile farther up 611 where it changes direction because of I-66.
Gordon saw the Greek-revival Cooley House when he was making his plans
from atop Massanutten Mountain. He knew that when the head of the column
reached the house it had only to halt and face left (west) to be in position.

Buckton Ford is 2.1 miles to the right (eastward) down this road. That
was where the bulk of Colonel Alpheus S. Moore's U.S.
Cavalry Brigade was stationed. Going westward, you are following Gordon's
axis of advance. In about half a mile, the road drops into a small
stream valley. As you reach the bottom, a power company cut to your left
front reveals a ridge 300 yards away. Hayes' Second
Division, VIII Corps was preparing trenches along this line. They were
unoccupied at the time of attack except for some men from the Fifth
New York Heavy Artillery Regiment who were digging them. The road then
rises and goes under I-81. At this point the Interstate traces the center
line of Hayes' Second Division, VIII Corps. The
hillside on both sides of the Interstate saw heavy fighting between about
0530 and 0600. As recalled by John B. Gordon,

In the still starlit night the only sounds heard were the gentle rustle
of leaves by the October wind, the low murmur of the Shenandoah flowing
swiftly along its rocky bed and slashing against the limestone cliffs that
bordered it, the churning of the water by the feet of horses on which sat
Sheridan's faithful pickets and the subdued tones or half-whispers of my
men.If you wish to travel directly to Stop 4, turn to the directions at
Stop 4.